“Got it, doc.”
I bite back a smile, turning my back as he tugs his shirt off and reaches for his pants.
“You’ve seen me naked before,” he reminds me.
Heat hits my cheeks.“I thought you might want some privacy.”
“You’re my mate, Dillon.I don’t want anything between us.No secrets.Nothing.”
Swallowing hard, I stay facing the door until I hear the shower turn on.I peek over my shoulder to see Jensen in the shower.
I turn around and clear my throat.“What’s the plan now?With the Red Fog Pack.”
“Keep up patrols.Capture those we can.Kill the ones we can’t until this is all over.”
“Is this…normal for you guys?”
“No, not really.Most packs co-exist peacefully.It’s in our nature, you know?”
“Sure.So why are you fighting with this other pack?”
“They’re territorial.The Alpha of the Red Fog Pack used to be our Alpha.He was into some bad shit, and when Ryker and Griffin came to town, they ran him out.Seems he never got over it.”
“Seems dumb.Why not just move on?”
“Some people are all about their ego.”
I nod in agreement.“My mom dated a few guys like that.”
“Yeah?Did she date a lot?”
“Oh, yeah.She was never single.Always had a date or a new man.”
Jensen peeks at me from behind the shower curtain.“Must’ve been rough to grow up like that.”
“It was easier when I got older and could sneak out.”
“No, it wasn’t,” he says quietly.
His unexpected insight brings tears to my eyes.
Jensen shuts off the shower and grabs a towel, wrapping it around his waist.
“Okay, no, it wasn’t.I spent most nights with my door locked and the dresser pushed in front of it to stop her latest boyfriend from sneaking in.My mom was rarely home, but when she was, she didn’t give a shit about me.”
“Fuck, Dillon.I’m sorry, mate.So sorry.”
I shrug, trying to play it off like it’s no big deal.Then Jensen wraps his arms around me, and the dam breaks.The tears come, and I bury my face in his chest.
“I wish I’d found you earlier.I wish I could’ve protected you from all that.Hell, I wish you’d a different mom, a different dad.You should’ve grown up with a loving family who treated you like a princess.”
He holds me tightly, and I cling to him as I sob.
“My parents died when I was young.I grew up in a foster home.That’s where I met Miles,” he says, rubbing my back.
“I thought you were brothers?”
“Foster brothers.We consider ourselves family, and we’re best friends.Like you and Mabel.”
